Generally Asked Questions on Soft Competencies in Interviews

Questions Often Asked in Employment Interviews

Given below are some questions that may be generally asked by job offering organizations to job seekers to evaluate them on soft competencies:

Sample Questions:

• Tell us about an important assignment you handled. How did you manage it and what were the results?

• How do you set up the priorities for your day-to-daywork?

• If any of your projects derails, goes behind schedule, how do you pull it up to bring it back on track?

• What is more important to you; processes or results? What ever is your answer, why do you think it that way?

• Can you give an example of any process improvements you achieved recently and what was its impact on various factors?

• Why do you think re-engineering of processes fail many times? Do you think one should not re-engineer but go gradual on improvements?

• How do you rate yourself as a result-focused person and why?

• Are you a deadline and timeline conscious person and how do you make sure that they are met?

• Do you like to take the challenges involved in fire fighting or would you rather be more cautious and eliminate such emergencies?

• Have you worked on any cross-functional project? What were your experiences on it as compared to a purely internal or departmental project?

• Do you believe in internal customer care concept? Would you still help the next-in-line department if because of your cooperation it is going to steal the show? Do you recall any such example from your past experience?

• Do you have at the back of your mind somewhere the requirements of you ultimate external customers? Does your approach to work get guided by it? Can you illustrate the point in light of your experience so far?

• How do you rate yourself as a decision maker? Can you describe any decision making situation where you were at cross roads; a dilemma situation, and you came out as a winner?

• Tell us about a situation where you goofed in decision making? How did you handle it then?

• Can you construct your decision making process and share with us? Take your time to think and then tell us.

• Are you the type of person who wishes to have a 100% correct decision and in the process may miss out on timelines or budget limits etc or will you take a chance to meet the other factors? In either case, tell us why?

• Suppose you take a considered decision in a situation where others are shying away from any commitment but it is important to take decision and it backfires. Do you display courage, own it and face the consequences or do you manipulate an apology or play a blame game or play politics and get scot-free?

• Continuing from the earlier question, then, what is right in a hierarchical formal organizational situation where every one's authority areas are earmarked, yet decisions are not forthcoming?

• Can you confidently communicate with your superiors your professional ideas? Do the persons high up in the organization hierarchy intimidate you?

• If you are confident and at ease in dealing with superiors, what have you done to build up this kind of confidence?

• How do you update your knowledge and skills? Do you have any specific approach to it? Can you elaborate it?

• Describe your problem solving process.

• Which do you prefer, attend to the problem and give an immediate short term solution so that things move on or would you wait on solving the problem until you have eliminated it from the grass root level?

• While coming out with solution to a complex and repetitive problem do you keep the financial and other constraints always in mind or do you aim at a solution irrespective of the constraints and try to achieve a permanent solution even at the cost of extra investments? Either way, what are your arguments?

• Do you encourage participation of your team members or do you push your decisions through them? Provide some examples to illustrate your style.

• In building consensus on a solution to a complex problem, have you faced any difficulties? What were they? How do you manage?

• Do you see the conflicts in your day-to-day work among the people and of people with you? What is your conflict management style?

• Can you describe your conflict handling process? Give an example.

• Do you lose your cool or get angry or frustrated when you get into a conflict with some one? How do you act?

• Did you ever have significant difference of opinion with your boss? What was it? How did you deal with it?

• Has it ever happened with you when your basic values were put to test in an organizational situation? What did you do?

• In your previous jobs, did you work with great teams? Give an example and why do you consider that to be a great team? What was your role and contribution in making it so?

• What are your proposals for development of people working for you? Have you tried some of them?

• How do you compare the training effectiveness of the class-room programs and the on-the-job training programs?

• What are your leadership qualities? Do people work for you with enthusiasm by taking initiatives? Then, you must also be delegating lots?

• Sometimes it happens that if you work for perfection or 100% quality, you may lose an opportunity, time is of essence. Would you rather push an imperfect product or solution so as to make the most of the opportunity? What is you take on it?

• Are you a good implementer, an action person? Are you also a good thinker and planner? What is more important for you? Why?

• Can you narrate the problems you faced in implementing any solution that you recently introduced?

How did you tackle them?

• Tell us something where you applied your creativity and met with a breakthrough.

• What kind of creativity systems or techniques do you use with your team?

• Do you encourage borrowed or copied creativity or you only appreciate something originally done? Why?

• Can you sell your concept, ideas and solutions to others who matter? Share your experience with us on this.

• How do you rate yourself as a presenter? Are your presentations appreciated by your audience? Can you tell us the kind of feedback you get from them on your presentation?

• Do you have any experience of conducting or coordinating the meetings, either in a room or using teleconferencing facilities? Give one such example and how did the meeting go on various counts?

• You have been assigned a project but you have not been given a clear picture of it; its pretty hazy. Can you still proceed and complete it? Did you do something like this in your earlier jobs?

• In the event when some information is just not available, does the lack of information bother you? Can you work in ambiguous situations? Do you have such an experience to share with us?

• Are you open enough to share your part of information in a team situation or in a cross functional project? Perhaps keeping that information up your sleeve till emergencies arise can be a way to gain importance. Your comments?

• Are you a person who first sees the big picture of things and then go into details or do you do it the other way round? Can you give an example from your work situation?

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Competency Matrix: Overdoing the Competencies

For everything you want to know in business management, life management, home management, family management, self-improvement and success in life refer: ""Management Universe" at http://management-universe.blogspot.com

For everything you want to know in "Building Leadership and Management" refer: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

Competency Matrix: Overdoing the Competencies

Excess of Everything Is Bad

In our earlier post on "Competency Matrix" (http://competency-matrix.blogspot.in/2009/01/competency-matrix.html), we had included a word of caution. It was about taking care of the pitfall of "overdoing the competencies". 

While developing various kinds of competencies, it is possible to fall into this trap of getting "obsessed" with those competencies. But then as you are aware excess of everything is bad. We had cited a few examples of this and it's negative impact. 

In this present post, we are giving a comprehensive list of indicators of this "obsession" or "overdoing" on a large number of competencies as given below.

Indicators of Overdoing the Competencies: Beware of Overdoing the Competencies

When you get obsessed with any competency or start overdoing it, possibilities of following tendencies exit and efforts should be made to overcome them.

1. Action Orientation: hopelessly workaholic, lopsided personal/family and social life, stressed out, setting unrealistic goals, setting very difficult dead lines, subordination of planning over actions, single track mind and action, inflexible.
2. Composure: uncaring attitude, hiding the emotions all the time, stressed because of bottled up feelings not shared or expressed, boring at times.
3. Communication: only gab and no worthwhile content, too much or too little preparedness before communicating, presentation style and effect more important, excessive salesmanship,  too much of a listener, listening giving impression of agreement or weakness, may err on time management due to over-indulgence in communication by self and others. 
4. Conflict Management: invariably insist on only the win-win solution though not necessary,  getting involved in every conflict resolution situation though not required, seeing every problem from an assumption that some conflict exists. 
5. Conviction: inappropriately sticking to certain ways of thinking, inflexible even where flexibility is necessary, blatant in expressions about self beliefs, too pushy in actions related to matters of  self convictions, perceiving flexibility as a sign of non-conviction, closed to feedback.
6. Creativity: disproportionate expenditure of resources on certain creative ideas of less importance, superficial ideas, only ideas and no implementation, possibility of becoming a loner  and poor team player, contempt for less creative people, being far ahead of people and time  in  terms of creativity to the extent that the ideas get shot down by others.
7. Customer Orientation: Giving in too easily to customers even when not warranted, twisting even well-tested company policies, plans and practices in view of customer demands, inordinate pressure on employees of the organization and overcommitting other resources to accommodate the customers.
8. Decision Making: may becoming overzealous in giving decisions rather than evolving the decisions,  burdening all the decision making situations on own shoulders, giving decision without sound analysis, short term decision overlooking any long term considerations, weakening  the decentralization.  
9. Developing People: lopsided expenditure of time and other resources on training and development of people, more of professor than an executive, employees spending more time and efforts in training rather than on the job thus affecting the time lines of the projects. 
10. Integrity: perceiving and making every situation an issue of integrity and ethics, act in a self-righteous manner, getting projected as a stubborn and inflexible person, making too much fuss of transparency and openness.
11. Interpersonal Skills: being goody goody with each and everyone at the cost of effectiveness and efficiency, acceptance and approval addict, tendency for groupthink, avoiding conflicts all the time, cannot handle rough weather, wasting time spend relationship building and networking, compromising and accommodative.
12. Leadership: mistaking leadership for dictatorship or patronage, more words less action, creating a crevice between followers and self leaving people behind, tendency to curb emergence of new leadership, insistence that only his vision be followed, share his vision, envisioning or deciding on only the big or strategic picture with little concern for details, get projected as more theoretical and less practical.
13. Problem Solving: tendency of analysis paralysis, burdening self with all the responsibilities of problem solving, curtailing delegation and the resultant empowerment of others, excessive avoidance of  risks.
14. Self Confidence: danger of turning overconfident, mine is always right posture, bordering on being arrogant, shun feedback and opinions of others, creating a sense of inferiority complex in others.
15. Self Development: obsessive with self-improvement through self-help literature and other self-help resources, self-centered and selfish, may become boring to on-lookers with self-improvement antics.
16. Result Orientation: overemphasis on results and no concern for processes, results by hook or by crook, inclination for short term results as these are immediately seen, inordinately high concern for tasks and results and no or very little concern for people, cannot form teams, meddling with subordinates'/colleagues' work to achieve results.
17. Team Building: excessively participative all the time and in all the situations, may miss the targets and time lines due to overemphasis on consensus building, always evolving decisions taking  people along with and not taking a definitive position i.e. not taking decisions on own when required, disproportionately greater inclination for concern for people as compared to concern for tasks/timely results, insistence on forming teams for every job even when not appropriate to do so.

It will be a good idea to refer the author's book titled "Competencies and Competency Matrix" for more detailed material on the subject. (You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Soft Skill/Competency: Assertiveness

For Building Leadership and Management, read: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

Also read “Shyam Bhatawdekar’s Musings” at http://shyam-bhatawdekar-musings.blogspot.com/)

Refer previous eighteen posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness", "Decision Making", "Integrity", "Team Work and Team Building", "Developing People", "Conflict Management", "Leadership" and "Motivation", "Listening" and "Conviction".

Assertiveness (Also refer: http://assertiveness-skill.blogspot.in/)

Explanation of the Competency "Assertiveness"

• Possesses great clarity about the differences between various behavioral styles i.e. aggressive, submissive, passive-aggressive and assertive behaviors.
• Has full knowledge of his assertiveness rights. 
• Stands up for his own basic human rights without violating the basic rights of others. 
• Has overcome the fears and self-depreciation that keep one from exercising one's rights.
• Can initiate, carry on, change and terminate conversations comfortably.
• Can tactfully, justly and effectively express his preferences, needs, opinions and feelings.
• Can express and speak up, make requests and ask for favors without hesitation or fear if the situation calls for.
• Able to show positive emotions (joy, pride, liking some one, attraction, complimenting, accepting compliments with grace etc) as well as negative emotions (complaints, resentment, criticism, disagreement, intimidation, the desire to be left alone, refuse requests etc) with equal ease.
• Is willing and capable of questioning authority or tradition if it becomes necessary.
• Does not rebel but takes responsibility. Takes control of the situation to make things better.
• Maintains his dignity by being properly assertive even if hurts someone else, as long as his motive is assertive, not aggressive.
• Does not feel it necessary to offer reasons or excuses for justifying his assertive behavior.
• Believes that he has a right to change his mind when required.
• Keeps free of approval addiction (approval of others) and self-pity. Willing to accept even the negative outcomes of his decisions and actions.
• Seriously believes that you have the right to say “no” without feeling guilty. You also have the right to say "yes".
• Does not consider himself stupid to say "I don't know" or "I don't understand" and seek clarifications in case of doubts.
• Answers honestly when he is asked if he likes something when he doesn't.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• Runs the risk of being seen as arrogant by some people.
• People in authority and even others may feel offended occasionally.
• Runs the risk of being unpopular if he has to assert quite often.
• May take stands even on trivia where it may not be appropriate to be assertive.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Conviction

For Building Leadership and Management, read: http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

Also read “Shyam Bhatawdekar’s Musings” at http://shyam-bhatawdekar-musings.blogspot.com/)

Refer previous seventeen posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness", "Decision Making", "Integrity", "Team Work and Team Building", "Developing People", "Conflict Management", "Leadership" and "Motivation" and "Listening".

Conviction

Explanation of the Competency "Conviction"

• Keeps improving his knowledge and understanding from various sources in order to decide upon his own beliefs and convictions in the important aspects of personal, professional, family and social life. 
• Based on such in-depth and ongoing studies and observations he creates a structure of values, beliefs, paradigms and view points that should guide him presently and in future. 
• Sticks to those values and beliefs unless in exceptional situation he finds that he was wrong and corrects himself in those few areas where he was wrong. 
• Reviews his day-to-day paradigms and points of views quite regularly and is willing to embrace a new paradigm with a new conviction when the paradigm shift takes place.
• Makes his convictions known to the concerned people with reasoning and without any hesitation.
• Based on his convictions, he is courageous to take stand on important issues fearlessly even at the cost of becoming unpopular occasionally.
• Does not take stand on trivia.
• Defends and supports the convictions of other people if he finds them convincing.
• Does not waver or crumble under any internal or external pressures.
• His actions are always in congruence with his principles and paradigms. He is interested in doing what is right.
• Thus he is capable of providing the requisite initiative and leadership in tough times on a rainy day.
• Is willing to take blame and responsibility in case the decisions and actions taken by him based on his convictions misfire in certain cases. He introspects such situations deeply and applies corrections if necessary.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May become too rigid and not willing to change even when it is really appropriate to change.
• May become unwilling to put forth his rationale for his principles and thus he may exude fear and animosity towards others who do not carry the same beliefs.
• At times may consider changing stand from his convictions as a sign of moral weakness and continue to hold on to erroneous ideas.
• May get blinded by his own thinking and not welcome new ideas and approaches and at times even scoff at them. He may become a hindrance to progress.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Listening

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

Also read “Shyam Bhatawdekar’s Musings” at http://shyam-bhatawdekar-musings.blogspot.com/)

Refer previous sixteen posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness", "Decision Making",
"Integrity", "Team Work and Team Building", "Developing People", "Conflict Management", "Leadership" and "Motivation".

Explanation of the Competency "Listening"

• Considers listening as one of the important human skills and an important subset of the communication skills. 
• Believes that listening strengthens the quality of communication, interpersonal relations, human relations, emotional intelligence, conflict management and team management.
• Every interaction requires one to respond and since the quality of response depends on the quality of listening, tries to improve quality of his listening constantly.
• Listens more and more within the sphere of other’s HSoftware (overall mental frame consisting of values, knowledge, paradigms and will power) rather than within the sphere of his own HSoftware. (Refer for more details the book titled "HSoftware- Shyam Bhatawdekar's effectiveness Model":http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=hsoftware&x=16&y=21)
• Thus, listens to understand the other person and not just to react, reply, control or manipulate the other person. By understanding the other person properly, can respond or act in the best possible manner.
• Does not ignore the other person by showing indifference or by pretending to listen.
• Generally respects other people and demonstrates openness and trust through his body language and spoken words.
• Encourages two way communication.
• Focuses on what the other person is saying and pays attention and tries to understand what the other person is saying.
• Tries to understand what the other person is saying by being interactive with him by giving him the feedback of his understanding.
• He tends to be empathic in his listening the others. Puts himself in other person's shoes.
• In becoming an empathic listener, listens not only with his ears but also with his eyes and with his heart.
• Listens for feeling and meaning.
• Understands that every human being needs psychological survival- one wants to be understood and appreciated by others, one wants others' affirmation and validation. By being an empathic listener, satisfies this need of other human beings.
• Then, paves way to influencing the people in right directions by diagnosing the issues and concerns of others in a better way for effective problem solving.
• Promotes a more participative style of managing by involving people.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May spend disproportionately more time in listening at the cost of other equally important functions.
• In order to promote participation may tend to allow people to speak out whatever they wish to even when they are at tangent and thus mismanaging the time.
• May be seen by many people as person always available to offer shoulder to cry on.
• Being listened to intently may be construed by the speakers as if what they are speaking is being accepted by the listener as correct though in fact they may be wrong.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Motivation

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

Also read “Shyam Bhatawdekar’s Musings” at http://shyam-bhatawdekar-musings.blogspot.com/)

Refer previous fifteen posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness", "Decision Making",
"Integrity", "Team Work and Team Building", "Developing People", "Conflict Management" and "Leadership".

Explanation of the Competency "Motivation"

• Appreciates the need for motivating self and others.
• Believes that by motivating the people they are in a position to give out their best i.e. they try their best to achieve their maximum potential for action, expression, growth, and achievement.
• Gives high degree of emphasis equally on "concern for people" as well as on "accomplishment of tasks".
• Analyzes the factors that motivate the people.
• Knows that different people are motivated by different factors and their weightages are not the same.
• Therefore, tries to analyze at each individual level what motivates each individual including self.
• Employs formal surveys and informal observations for understanding the motivational needs of the people.
• Is fully conversant with Maslow's need hierarchy theory, Herzberg's two-factor theory and other theories of motivation.
• Accordingly, incorporates the required challenges and responsibilities in the jobs of self and other individuals in addition to providing continually improving working relations and conditions.
• Provides appropriate freedom and autonomy on job as per individual's requirements.
• Helps in structuring and designing the various human resources and other policies of the organization keeping in mind the motivational requirement of its employees.
• Provides adequate and appropriate psychological strokes to the direct reports as well as all the other associates.
• On completion of projects and jobs by teams and individuals, celebrates the success and gives due recognition to them openly.
• Incorporates required combination of motivational factors so that people give their best as individuals as well as the teams. 
• Generally respects all the people.
• Is a good listener.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May show a very softening or compromising attitude towards the people giving them a wrong impression of being a weak leader.
• May spend disproportionately more time in trying to sort out even those motivational aspects that are of very minor nature or which in fact are imaginary and not real.
• May tend to attribute failure of employees as their lack of motivation even when other factors may be primarily responsible for their failures.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Leadership

(Refer our High Quality Management Encyclopedia “Management Universe” at: http://management-universe.blogspot.com/)

Also read “Shyam Bhatawdekar’s Musings” at http://shyam-bhatawdekar-musings.blogspot.com/)

Refer previous fourteen posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness", "Decision Making",
"Integrity", "Team Work and Team Building", "Developing People" and "Conflict Management".

Explanation of the Competency "Leadership" 

• Believes in and practices highest degrees of ethic, integrity and honesty.
• Can envision the advancement and growth opportunities.
• Possesses abilities for high degree of conceptualization, strategizing and analysis.
• Demonstrates high achievement orientation. Therefore, emphasizes commitment, accountability, action orientation and results. 
• Is dynamism personified. Exudes energy and enthusiasm.
• Takes initiatives and is self starter.
• Adept at interpersonal relationships and puts emotional intelligence in action.
• Excellent communicator.
• Possesses high learning orientation and learns from all the quarters all the time. Quick in grasping new pieces of knowledge and practice.
• Is excellent in directing and controlling functions.
• Uses his excellent influencing skills for bringing out the desired consensus, decisions and actions.
• Very good at decision making processes and once decisions are reached, displays firmness and decisiveness in implementation.
• Displays required flexibility and adaptability in different situations and times.
• Demonstrates tremendous self-confidence as well as moral and physical courage.
• Can lead people from the front when necessary. Is capable of setting an example.
• Is great team builder and team player. Provides necessary support and cooperativeness.
• Motivates self and other people excellently well and people then give out their best in terms of their potentials and stretch.
• Balances his high concern for task accomplishment with high concern for the people.
• Possesses high business acumen.
• Is politically astute.
• Very good at general judgment and intuitions on issues and people.
• Develops many next line leaders.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May end up being a very strong leader leaving people looking up to him for any thing and every thing.
• May become indispensable thus posing a question of succession- after him who? 
• High result and action orientation may create an imbalance between concern for task accomplishment and concern for people.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Conflict Management

Refer previous thirteen posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness", "Decision Making",
"Integrity", "Team Work and Team Building" and "Developing People".

Explanation of the Competency "Conflict Management" 

• Recognizes the fact that conflicts are quite natural in any organization and yet these need appropriate redressing to move on with apt solutions.
• Therefore, is willing to take up the responsibility of managing and resolving the conflict.
• He can think through clearly in a conflicting situation.
• In any conflicting situation, he keeps his eyes constantly on the desired goals and therefore, does not drift away from them despite conflicting arguments and points of views.
• Listens well and patiently all the conflicting arguments and presentations.
• Controls the people and their communication patterns in the discussions that takes place when resolving a conflict.
• Facilitates the innovative and creative thinking of the people caught up in the conflict.
• Does not take sides of any particular set of people or their thinking. Rather, tries to facilitate working out genuinely appropriate and optimal solutions.
• Amply demonstrates his positioning as a person with high objectivity in every conflicting situation.
• Most of the times aims at a win-win solution as opposed to win-lose, lose-win or lose-lose solutions or a compromised solution.
• Contributes his own inputs, ideas, creativity and analysis to supplement the missing or erroneous information and thus uncover the real issues and reasons that led to the conflict. Then proceeds to help find the answers.
• Gains agreements without leaving behind any bitter taste or disrupting the human relationships.
• Is proactive and as far as possible anticipates the conflicting situations and dissolves them well before they turn into conflicts.
• Is good at managing various types and complexities of conflicts involving insiders as well as outsiders.
• Is highly skilled in tackling the people who have a knack or habit of becoming unnecessarily difficult and nasty. 
• Can use humor or any other intervention to diffuse even highly volatile conflict scenarios.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May perceive even the day-to-day routine issues as a conflict and start using his conflict management skills in an elaborate manner.
• Thus may get involved in every situation of small little conflict even the ones that might better get solved by delegation. 
• May start contributing with out-of-proportional over-zealousness or intensity and rather than diffusing the conflict, may end up opening up Pandora's box and thus aggravating the conflict.
• May overemphasize on always realizing a win-win solution where a less than win-win solution may look more suitable as a starter.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Developing People

Refer previous twelve posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness", "Decision Making",
"Integrity", "Team Work and Team Building".

Explanation of the Competency "Developing People" 

• Genuinely believes in developing people and and likes it.
• Does not feel threatened in sharing his knowledge, experience and skills with other people while training/coaching, mentoring and developing the people.
• Uncovers the potentials of the people and their weaknesses and directs his efforts to further boost their strengths, develop them for new competencies/skills and reduce the critical weaknesses.
• Also uncovers the career goals of the people and their specific aptitudes.
• Accordingly, plans his development efforts.
• Assigns those assignments and tasks to people which will help people in development of their competencies and skills.  
• Assigns the assignment gradually, from the routines assignments to more complex and challenging assignments.
• Can design and develop necessary class room and on the job training and development modules and sessions.
• Can design and develop necessary training and development material.
• Handholds the beginners and then allows adequate freedom as they start acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills.
• Can design, develop and implement required methods of evaluating the learning performance of the people.
• Periodically measures the progress of development of people and provides them the necessary feedback and further mentoring and coaching.
• Allows enough opportunities for people to apply their creativity and new approaches while they are learning.
• Facilitates accelerated pace of learning as per the needs of organization, business requirements and grasping power of the trainees. Designs and installs new approaches, technology, techniques and tools for achieving it.
• Motivates the people in their learning efforts and helps in building up their general morale.
• Instills in the people the self esteem and self worth as they pick up greater degrees of knowledge, experience and competencies/skills.
• Provides adequate opportunities and circumstances for the direct reports to  get more visibility with senior and top management and  the executives of the organization who matter.
• Encourages his senior and expert staff to train and develop the other people.
• Methodically pushes the  promising people to take up higher responsibilities and thus helps in their development and career advancement within his own department(s) or in outside departments.
• Prepares development budgets carefully to take care of all the immediate, short and long term requirements and convinces the management to seek approval of the budget.
• Perceives the money, time and efforts on developing the people not as expenditure but as investment. 
• Keeps a tab on investment on developing people and their actual development.  

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May end up spending disproportionately more time in development aspects of people as compared to achieving the other short and long term requirement of business for which he is accountable.
• May be over optimistic in training and developing each and every person to the hilt.
• May err on developing only selective people who seem to be potential learners and leave out out the others in the team to justify and ensure his developmental achievements.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

SoftSkill/Competency: Team Work and Team Building

Refer previous eleven posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness", "Decision Making" and "Integrity".

Explanation of the Competency "Team Work and Team Building" 

• Believes that working together with others or in teams gives higher synergies to self and the teams.
• Believes in win-win approach.
• Therefore, is positive and enthusiastic about team work and team building.
• Contributes significantly when working as a member of a team or when working as a team leader to build a strong team.
• Respects all the members of the team.
• Cooperates with every team member and the team leader.
• Provides help and support to those team members who are in need of help and support.
• Shares relevant knowledge and information with all the team members including the team leader.
• Maintains the required level of communication in terms of quality, quantity and timeliness with the team members and the team leader.
• When working as a team leader, facilitates developing team goals with team members' participation.
• Motivates the team members while working as a leader of the team or even when working as a member of the team.
• Helps to build up high team morale.
• Creates a sense or feeling of togetherness and cohesiveness among the fellow members.
• Understands the group processes involved in team working and implements these processes for the advantage of the team.
• Has knowledge of various systems, tools and techniques of team building and team work and uses them effectively as appropriate.
• Is good at resolving the conflicts that might arise due to diverse personalities of various team members.
• When the members seem to drift away from the shared mission, goals and priorities, brings them back on the desired focus.
• Seeks for each and every member's active and enthusiastic participation all the time and accordingly motivates the members who seem to be getting disinterested or tuned out from time to time.
• Makes every member feel that each one's work or contribution is equally important.
• Shares credit for success of team with all the others in the team.
• Celebrates the team's success together with all the others in the team.
• Makes sure that the various teams do not become islands in themselves and form unnecessary boundaries around them.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• Team work may get confused with excessively unnecessary participation of all the members on all the points or issues.
• Too much of participation may lead to delays. Time management and time lines may get screwed up.
• At times team working may end up being goody goody with each other all the time trying not to hurt each other emotionally or intellectually resulting in mediocre performance and results.
• Leader of the team may lose sight of being tough and firm in a team situation even when such a stance may be more appropriate in difficult or tough times.
• There is possibility of some members becoming inactive in a team since they may think that others in the team will take care of things even if they do not perform and their non-working may not even get noticed.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Integrity

Refer previous ten posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills", "Composure or Coolness" and "Decision Making".

Explanation of the Competency "Integrity"

• Holds to a laudable value structure all the time and in all the situations.
• Is led by principles and values in all the walks of life- a real principle centered person. 
• Even under pressure from anyone, does not yield to unscrupulous behavior.
• Practices integrity while dealing with everyone and therefore is regarded as trustworthy person.
• Demonstrates fairness consistently. Does not play favorites.
• Is never motivated by ulterior motives.  
• Is always truthful, does not lie.
• Does not turn and twist the information to gain something or to score a point in an underhand manner.
• Uses confidential information confidentially. Does not divulge the confidential information even under any body's pressure. 
• Behaves ethically personally and professionally.
• Does not indulge in any kind of corruption  or corrupt practices.
• Lives personally and professionally following the legitimately formulated laws of the land- does not flout or circumvent them.
• Motivates others to practice integrity by being an example to others.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• Does not understand the difference between the core values and the day to day practical paradigms and may confuse paradigms for values. May, inappropriately, turn many issues into unwarranted ethical battles.
• And therefore may become unnecessarily difficult, stubborn and inflexible in personal and professional dealings with the people involved. May even get into a fight or a conflict in situations where there should be none. 
• May pose as a self-righteous person.
• May become judgmental.
• May present his truthfulness and honesty impolitely and inappropriately to such an extent that the others may start avoiding him. 

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Decision Making

Refer previous nine posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills", "Communication Skills" and "Composure or Coolness").

Explanation of the Competency "Decision Making"

• Believes that decision making is an important soft skill or soft competency and one should learn to become more and more decisive.
• Takes better decisions. 
•  Asks questions and collects or arranges to collect data and information required to make a better decision and analyzes them to arrive at a better decision satisfying the various parameters related to decision making like overall cost, overall profitability, timeliness, implementability, human angles etc.
• Motivate and facilitates others to take better decisions.
• Take decisions by self or by involving all the concerned persons under day to day, difficult, complex and highly complex situations within the given authority impacting the domain under his control or the domains outside his control.
• Wherever and whenever necessary, thinks over the decisions that might impact his authority area or other areas but over which he does not have the formally given authority. Then, he puts forth them as his suggestions or recommendations to the concerned people or agencies.
• Creates many alternatives before deciding on one or few of them as his final decision(s).
• Is capable of sorting out the entangled issues, short term gains versus long term gains conflicts,  and various other dilemmas and then steer clear of them to arrive at the decisions.
• Is adept at carrying out trade off analysis of the decision options.
• Is capable of taking decisions even under ambiguity, uncertainty and pressure.
• Has knowledge of utilizing various decision making models, systems, tools, techniques and technology and in real life does use them when appropriate.
• Uses his learnings from the previous experiences in order to take decisions and encourages others to do the same.
• Is courageous enough to take and implement decisions (even the tough ones) in situations where a weak person may not like to get involved despite the fact that decision making there is a great requirement or is an imperative.
• Uses his intuition and judgment where compete data and information are not available and is willing to take calculated risks under such conditions.
• Sticks to his decisions but is also flexible to change his decision if someone else brings forth a better alternative or he himself stumbles on it later.
• Takes responsibility for the outcomes of his decisions even in case of the adverse outcomes.
• Encourages participation of others in decision making process as appropriate.
• Implements the decisions or facilitates others in its implementation.
• Maintains a broad perspective or keeps a big picture at the back of decision making process.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May become overzealous in taking decisions and may step beyond his authority area or step on some one else's authority area when not appropriate.
• Being strong in taking decisions may get into habit of giving out decisions rather than evolving the decisions with adequate participation of others concerned.
• May jump to conclusion without doing necessary analysis.
• May sacrifice one factor of decision making against the other factors in the enthusiasm of putting lopsided weightages to the involved factors.
• May tend to belittle the associates who may seem inferior in taking decisions thus hurting their self worth and confidence.
• May not delegate or empower others in decision making thus leaning towards centralized decision making.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Composure or Coolness

Refer previous eight posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”,  "Action Orientation", "Creativity", "Interpersonal Skills" and "Communication Skills").

Explanation of the Competency "Composure" or "Coolness"

•  Exercises self-control under trying or tough circumstances or situations or under any kind of pressure.
•  Responds proactively rather than just reacting immediately or without thinking.
•  Responds appropriately without getting perturbed by the stressful news, situations or events of moderate and heavy stresses.
•  Manages negative emotions like anger, frustration, fear, dejection etc effectively and if necessary, in exceptional cases, shows or shares or vents them out  without hurting self or others.
•  Does not get personal or does not raise an accusing finger at others while dealing with a difficult problem or conflict or failure. Rather, concentrates on solving the problem.
•  Motivates others to concentrate on finding solutions to problems rather than getting overwhelmed by stresses and strains involved.
•  Remains focused, tries to think clearly and takes appropriate decisions even under ambiguous, doubtful, stressful, dilemma and crisis situations.
•  Steers effectively through an emotionally packed event.
•  Exudes calming effect on the people around.
•  Is capable of counseling the people under stresses and strains.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

•  May be branded as cold and unemotional person.
•  May control emotions and not show them or vent them out even when it is appropriate to do so and in the process may hurt or harm self or others.
•  May belittle or discard others' feelings or emotions and decisions based on them.
•  May even get branded as uncaring type.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Communication Skills

Refer previous seven posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation", "Creativity" and "Interpersonal skills").

Explanation of the Competency "Communication Skills"

• Likes to communicate with others.
• Selects the right target groups or individuals for his communication.
• Can organize his ideas, thoughts and messages and structure or format them appropriately and makes sure that they match the requirements of his target groups or individuals.
• Is capable of correctly, precisely, concisely and effectively sending the desired messages or ideas to the receiver at the right pace.
• In doing so, he chooses appropriate language and style for delivery of his messages. 
• Ensures that his message has reached the receiver the way he wanted it to be.
• Furthermore, he puts his best efforts in communicating with others such that it elicits the    desired response from the audience on most of the occasions.
• Is good at making effective and confident presentations to an individual, small groups and large groups whether internal or external to the organization.
•  Can make effective presentation even to a mixed or diverse audience with different backgrounds, interests and sophistication. Also is capable of communicating well with difficult audience.
• Can clearly explain to the audience even a more complex subject matter making it easier for them to understand. 
• Encourages two way communication, feedback and sorts out questions and doubts of the receiver of communication. 
• Therefore, he is an effective, active and empathetic listener.
• Employs right kind of time management while communicating.
• Makes sure that his actions are commensurate with what he communicates.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May spend too much time polishing and honing his communication.
• May not like to put much of efforts in planning and delivering his communication believing that he is already good at it.
• May fall prey to excessive emphasis on presentation styles and use of sophisticated technology while giving a second degree treatment to the objectives and contents of communication.
• Actions may not necessarily be demonstrative of his communication if he believes that gift of gab is all that matters. 

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Interpersonal Skills

Refer previous six posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development”, "Action Orientation" and "Creativity").

Explanation of the Competency "Interpersonal Skills"

• Likes to interact with others.
• Can interact with others with ease and naturally.
• Can relate well with diverse personalities.
• Is in a position to establish rapport with others.
• Recognizes that every individual is unique and appreciates such uniqueness in others.
• Can foresee how others will think and behave under different situations.
• Can adjust own behavior to suit the behavior styles of others.
  
• Treats others with respect and politeness.
• Therefore can maintain a very congenial and conducive communication.
• Takes initiative to build up short term and long term relationships.
• Is adept at making personal and professional networks.
• Can create and promote an organizational climate of good interpersonal relations.

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• A strong desire to be liked by everyone all the time might seep in and therefore may fall into a tendency of avoiding difficult or unpleasant dealings.
• May spend unnecessarily too much wasteful time networking with others.  
• May not be able to sort out the deeper conflicts.
• May be seen as a person with smooth exterior but no substance. 

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Creativity

Refer previous five posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence”, “Self Development” and "Action Orientation").

Explanation of the Competency “Creativity”

• Continually challenges the status quo and yearns to bring about improvement and newness in everything.
• Motivates others to challenge the status quo and to bring about improvement and newness in everything.
• Facilitates to bring out creativity in self and others.
• Contributes new concepts, processes and products.
• Does out of box thinking or lateral thinking. Thinks beyond the obvious by exploring wide ranging possibilities even outside the given parameters.
• Participates enthusiastically and contributes significantly in brainstorming sessions to generate creativity.
• Has the facility and talent to connect the seemingly unrelated issues and information to bring out freshness in approaches and solutions. Can grasp the nuances of cross functional working.
• Does the right brain as well as left brain thinking quite actively.
• Looks at the problems and solutions from all the possible angles.
• Is highly inquisitive and questions everything by raising a question, "why"?

Pitfalls to be Avoided

• May not be able to relate to the people who seem to be less creative and also may not appreciate them and their work.
• May get immersed deeply in an idea that may not be quite productive. May lose perspective with reference to business and organizational requirements.
• May shift from a to b and then to c and may get excited in working with many things at a time.
• May focus too much on right brain working and lose sight of hard core analysis and details.
• May lean more on being a loner as against being a team player.
• His idea generation and playing with them may affect a running assignment that he is handling.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/
or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Action Orientation

(Refer previous four posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving", “Self Confidence” and “Self Development”.)

Explanation of the Competency “Action Orientation”

• Emphasizes that actions are more important than mere ideas.
• Looks around for what needs to be done.
• Does it without being told.
• Demonstrates initiative.
• Uses energy and drive.
• Has more bias for action than for thinking, planning and analysis.
• Does not spend too much time in thinking, planning and analysis. Is not an over-thinker or over-planner or does not get stricken by analysis paralysis.
• Acts with urgency to the situations that demand urgency.
• Is aware of the time lines for actions and therefore, sticks to deadlines by starting and finishing on time.
• Takes actions proactively to exploit the business opportunities.
• Encourages action orientation in others, particularly in his team members and motivates them accordingly.
• Makes allowances and concessions for slippages and errors in action oriented persons or action oriented situations.
• Identifies the strategic opportunities that are time sensitive, grabs them and acts on them without loss of time, realizing that the delay in actions can be quite catastrophic.
• In such strategic situations, creates urgency and acts as a propeller to set himself and others in motion with the required pace.
• Tries to build an action oriented culture in the organizations he is associated with.

Pitfall to be Avoided

• Possibility of turning into a workaholic impacting adversely on personal and family life.
• Possibility of suffering from stresses due to burn out.
• Lack of planning and more of impulsiveness to act may have adverse impact on smooth, quality, economic and timely actions.
• May end up setting highly ambitious though unrealistic goals and deadlines.
• May become intolerant of people with lacking action orientation of people with slow pace of working. This may jeopardize his interpersonal relationships with them.
• May be less flexible in changing the plans.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Self Development

(Refer previous three posts to read the detailed explanations on competencies "Result Orientation", "Problem Solving" and “Self Confidence”).

Explanation of the Competency “Self Development”

(For more benefits to you, It will be prudent to refer (Self Development) http://managing-self.blogspot.com/ and (Self Motivation or Internal Motivation) http://internal-motivation.blogspot.com/)

• On a day to day basis, tries to introspect or examine his own strengths and weaknesses.
• Seeks and welcomes others’ feedback on his strengths and weaknesses and examines them positively or constructively. Others can include anyone who can provide the feedback; even an enemy, neighbor or spouse :) apart from the usually known people like, bosses, colleagues, direct reports, internal and external customers etc.
• Accepts criticism (as part of feedback) from others in his own stride.
• Looks around for information on appropriate way and means or strategies for self development.
• Continually works to improve upon his strengths and to remove the weaknesses, particularly those weaknesses which have become or can become critical in achieving successes in professional, personal, family and social life.
• Then looks around for opportunities and utilizes them by taking up appropriate assignments or projects to enhance his strengths and eliminate his critical weaknesses.
• Reads, observes, refers and participates through the authentic literature and courses/workshops/seminars for enhancing knowledge and skills/competencies.
• Continually develops his will power, value structure, knowledge and paradigms to enhance his effectiveness in professional spheres and all the walks of life. (Refer Shyam Bhatawdekar’s Model “HSoftware” for effectiveness at http://humansoftware.blogspot.com/ and/or http://knol.google.com/k/shyam-bhatawdekar/management-in-life-profession-family/6txz9nck6g3/3# )
• Actively learns from his own and others’ successes and failures on an ongoing basis.
• Sets an example for others to learn, improve, develop and grow.
• Assists others in facilitating their self development.

Pitfall to be Avoided

• Too much self centered.
• Obsessed with self help development gurus, books, literature or any other gadgets.
• Lopsided distribution of time and efforts on self improvement particularly at the cost of achieving results on important tasks on hand (which can be done with existing levels of knowledge and skills/competencies).
• Wasting time and other resources in improving the knowledge and skills/competencies where one is already very good at currently.
• Lopsided allotment of resources on self development rather than their appropriate utilization on the development of one’s team members.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/


For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/


For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer: http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/

Soft Skill/Competency: Self Confidence

Explanation of the Competency “Self Confidence”

• Displays a confident disposition. Instills confidence in others.
• Has confidence in his own abilities.
• Has no doubts and hesitation in his abilities.
• Uses his abilities confidently to tackle the day-to-day and also difficult situations and problems.
• Likely to lead in solving the issues.
• Will take responsibility and accountability with no fuss.
• Speaks out his mind. Therefore, makes his thinking and opinions heard and understood by other related persons.
• Does not feel threatened in sharing his knowledge and skills with others.
• Does not get cowed down by aggressive behavior of others.
• Can take criticism in his own stride.
• Does not become defensive; cannot be pushed to corner.
• Does not easily complain or grumble or blame about others or about situations.
• Does not hesitate in sharing his success and limelight with others.

Pitfall to be Avoided

• Arrogance.
• Know-all type behavior.
• Poor listener.
• Therefore, devaluing others’ feedback, opinions and suggestions.
• May instill inferiority complex in others.

(You can download eBook "Competencies and Competency Matrix" from http://nbuu.co/cm)

Read the "Management Case Studies" from Shyam Bhatawdekar's book "Sensitive Stories of Corporate World" at: http://management-anecdotes.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com/

For "Management Games, Exercises, Energizers and Icebreakers", read at: http://management-games-icebreakers.blogspot.com/ or http://shyam.bhatawdekar.com

For free tutorials on "Train the Trainers" program, refer:  http://train-trainers.blogspot.com/